How to play Chainlink — free online word ladder game
Change one letter each clue to climb the word chain.
- Players
- 2–4
- Length
- ~5 min
- Type
- Word
- Price
- Free
Chainlink is a word ladder with clues. The whole room climbs one chain together: you see the current word and a clue, and you change exactly one letter to reach the word the clue points at.
Because everyone climbs the same chain, nobody gets left behind on a rung they couldn't solve — once anyone finds it, the room moves up together. The competition is purely about who gets there first.
Free, no app and no sign-up to join — players hop in with a 4-letter code on their own phone.
How to play Chainlink
The host picks the number of rungs
Six rungs is the default at about 30 seconds each. Four is a quick climb; eight is a proper one.
A word and a clue appear
The current word sits at the top of the ladder with a clue underneath describing the next word.
Change exactly one letter
Type the new word. It has to be the same length and differ by precisely one letter — that constraint is what makes the clue solvable.
Fast solves bank more
Everyone can solve every rung, so the points come from speed rather than from being the only one who got it.
The room climbs together
The word you just found becomes the base of the next rung, and the chain continues.
What Chainlink looks like
How scoring works
Every player can score every rung — the race is against the clock, not against each other's success. Solving faster banks more points.
Because the whole room advances together, a rung you fail doesn't lock you out of the rest of the game. You lose that rung's points and climb on.
Points accumulate across the chain and the highest total wins.
Tips for winning Chainlink
- Read the clue before you look at the word. Working out what the answer means is usually faster than brute-forcing letter swaps.
- Try the vowels first. Most one-letter transforms in a clued ladder swap a vowel, and there are only five to run through.
- Say the word out loud. Chainlink answers are common words, and your ear finds them faster than your eye does.
- Don't fixate on the first letter. The changed letter is just as often in the middle or at the end.
Frequently asked questions
How many players do you need for Chainlink?
Two to four.
What's the difference between Chainlink and Rungs?
Chainlink gives you a clue for each rung, so there's exactly one right answer and the race is about speed. Rungs is the open ladder — you find your own route to the target word.
How long is a game?
About 5 minutes at the default six rungs, making it one of the quickest games here.
Is it free?
Yes, free to play and free to host, and joining needs only the 4-letter code.
Free, no app and no sign-up to join — players hop in with a 4-letter code on their own phone.